November departures and onboard service
The Puerto Vallarta route will reach a peak frequency of three flights a week. Phoenix service begins Nov. 6 and will operate daily at its peak, while Los Cabos, Mexico, and Las Vegas both start Nov. 16, each reaching four flights a week, according to Porter's announcement distributed through Business Wire.
Porter will fly all four routes with 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. Passengers will have no middle seats, free high-speed WiFi, premium snacks, and complimentary wine and beer served in real glassware. Meals described by the airline as fresh and healthy are included with PorterReserve fares and can be purchased by passengers booked in PorterClassic.
Air Transat is offering vacation packages from Edmonton to Puerto Vallarta. Packages for Los Cabos are due to follow soon.
Andrew Pierce, Porter's vice president of network planning and reporting, said the expansion gives Edmonton travelers more winter vacation choices and the airline's "distinct elevated comfort." James Jackson, Edmonton International Airport's vice president of business and air service development, described the four-route addition as "a significant commitment to our market."
Representatives of Puerto Vallarta International Airport, the City of Phoenix, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Los Cabos Tourism Board also welcomed the new connections in statements accompanying the announcement.
A broader shift toward winter destinations
The Edmonton launches are part of Porter's wider expansion for winter 2026-27. In its April 30, 2026, announcement, the airline outlined 15 new routes across six Canadian airports and four additions to its destination network: Aruba, Los Cabos, Montego Bay in Jamaica, and San José in Costa Rica.
Porter says its total sun capacity is increasing by more than 150% this season. It expects to operate nearly 5,000 flights to sun destinations over the winter, also more than 150% above the previous year.
Pierce said sun destinations will account for nearly half of the airline's capacity in winter 2026-27. He said its first season serving Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica, in 2025-26, surpassed expectations, with average load factors of approximately 80%.
Other airlines are expanding in Edmonton
Edmonton International Airport's Sept. 10, 2026, release projected a 46% increase in the airport's overall sun capacity for winter 2026-27. Alongside Porter, Air Canada, Flair and WestJet are adding routes or capacity.
The airport said WestJet's Edmonton capacity would rise 34% under what the carrier calls its "biggest-ever winter sun schedule." WestJet's weekly flights from Edmonton to Los Cabos and Montego Bay are doubling compared with the previous winter.
Fleet growth and the next expansion
Porter celebrated its 20th anniversary in October 2026. According to TravelPress, it had carried more than 49 million passengers over those two decades, expanded its workforce from 100 to more than 4,400 and become Canada's third-largest airline.
By October, the fleet had grown from 29 aircraft to 85 since the introduction of Embraer E195-E2 jets in 2023. That total comprised 56 E195-E2s and 29 Dash 8-400 turboprops. Porter served 33 destinations across 131 routes and had orders for up to 100 E195-E2s.
Chief commercial officer Edmond Eldebs said in October that the airline expected growth of approximately 25% in 2026, followed by another 25% in 2027.
